Mechanical movement and bicycle gear



N. RAPP & R. RAPP, Jn. MECHANICAL M'DVEMENT AND BICYCLE GEAR.

(Application tiled Dec. 6, 1897.)

(No Model.)

ma Nonms PETERS co. PNo'mLITHo.. wAsNxNGToN. n. c

'Patentedlam I0, |899.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL RAPP AND RUSSELL RAPP, JR., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

lASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM B. DENNEE AND ROBERT A. BRAOI-IVOGEL, OF SAME PLACE.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT AND BICYCLE-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,447, dated January 10, 1899. Application filed December 6, 1897. Serial No. 660,932. (No model.)l

To LZ-Z whom, it may conccrm' Be it known that we, NATHANIEL Barr and RUSSELL RAPP, J r., citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, countyof Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin a Novel Mechanical Movement and Bicycle-Gear; and we declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention has for its object a novel mechanical movement, and particularly a novel gear for bicycles and other uses for which it may be found adapted.

Our invention consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a view showing portions of `a bicycle in side elevation embodying features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan View illustrating a modiiication; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 4, Fig. l.

Our invention as applied to bicycles aims to provide a high-speed gear requiring less power than wheels intended for such purposes as heretofore constructed.

Our invention aims also as one feature thereof to provide gear dispensing with the ordinary sprocket Wheels and chain, making what might be termed a chainless gear, although a short internal sprocket-chain is employed, but not connected with the crankshaft.

Our invention also contemplates the general features embodied in the drawings and specification. 4

We carry out our invention as follows: A represents any suitable framework of a bicycle, and B represents portions of a rear wheel.

C is a crank-hanger.

.B is a portion of the front wheel.

engagement upon the corresponding sleeves D2 D3 outside the framework of the machine.

E represents -the pedal-cranks, which in the mechanism shown in Figs. l, 2, and 4 are engaged upon the extremities of the axle of the rear wheel, ball-bearings (indicated at d) being provided between said cranks and the adjacent cones. One of the sleeves, as the sleeve D2, is provided with a sprocket-wheel (indicated at d' in Figs. 2 and 4) of small diameter. Between the sleeves D2 and Ds and their respective hubs and upon the axle D is located a rotatable arm F, said arm being made fast on the axle, as by a counterbalancearm F', having a threaded engagement in the hub of the arm F, theinner end of the counterbalance-arm projecting slightly into a recess, (indicated at d2.)

F2 is a jam-nut engaged upon the inner end of the arm F to lock said arm in place.

F3 is a counterbalance-weight on the outer end of the arm F.

The outer end of the arm F is provided with a hollow bearing F4, in`which is 'located an axle G, carrying at one extremityasprocketgear g in line with the sprocket-wheel d', a chain G' (indicated in dotted lines) being engaged upon said sprocket-wheels. Upon the opposite extremity of the axle G is a gear H, meshing with a gear H upon one of the hubs, as upon the hubD, and rotatable therewith. The sprocket d has a fixed engagement with its sleeve and is non-rotatable.

It will be evident that as the axle D is rotated it carries the arms F and F. therewith,

causing .said arms to rotate and carry the axle G around about the axle D. The gears g and H have a xed engagement upon the axle G, said axle having a rotatable engagement in the bearing F4, ball-bearin gs f being provided. Additional cones d3 and d4 are provided adj a- 1 cent to the inner surfaces of the forks of the framework engaging the axle, between which cones and the adjacent hubs are ball-bearings di and d,- also, between the inner portions of the hubs and the corresponding portions of the adjacent sleeves are preferably provided ball-bearin gs d'7 and ds. Other ballbearings d and d10 are provided between the hub of the arm F and the gear d and Il.

It will be perceived that as the rear axle D is rotated by means of the pedals the arms F and F are rotated therewith, carrying the bearing F'1 therewith, thereby causing the gearg and II to have a planet movement about the axle D, the shaft or axle G, as already observed, rotating` in the bearing F4, the gear Il in mesh with the gear H', and the sprocketgear g connected by the sprocket-chain G with the gear CZ. The sprocket d', being stationary on its sleeve, causes the rotation of the sprocket C, thereby rotating the axle GA and the gear ll, together with the gear H. The counterbalauce F3 is simply intended to counterbalance the weight of the devices carried by the bearing F4, so as to more fully equalize the movement of the parts. The gear Il' is made of smaller diameter than the gear Il, meshing therewith, by which means a high rate of speed may be obtained. It will be apparent that the chain G simply swings about the stationary bracket-wheel d', causing little or no friction in its contact with the sprocket wheel d', in consequence of which no power is diminished, as where both sprocket-wheels as customarily made are rotatable. Power is thereby saved for the propulsion of the gear H and its hub.

In a bicycle we provide a cover, preferably a divided cover, composed of two parts, (indicated at J and J Q) said covers being engaged with the corresponding hubs. The spokes v of the wheel are also engaged with the corresponding hubs and preferably also with the corresponding portions of said covers, as indicated at Zi' and b2. XVe prefer that one of the portions J and J/ of the covers should also be divided,the portion J for example, being provided with areinovable portion j, with which the remaining portion should have a removable connection, as by bolts 72. The two cover portions J J may be provided with peripheral flanges, (indicated at jig) through which bolts j* may be passed to unite the covers together.

By this construction access may be had in a convenient manner to the interior features of the mechanism by simply removing the portion J at one side of the device. The engagement of the two portions of the cover upon the corresponding hubs also has an important function to hold said hubs from any movement longitudinally of the axle. The covers serve also to unite the two hubs and distribute the force in driving the wheel.

It will be perceived that should the gear H be half the diameter of the gear H the meshing of said gears alone, did the gear H have no planetary movement, would cause the gear H to travel twice as rapidly as the gear Il; butin addition, in consequence of the gear Il having a planetary movement about the gear Il', an additional complete revolution of the gear Il is obtained at every revolution of the gear H with its axle, so that an additional rotation of the gear Il' is secured by the pianetary movement of the gear ll over what would be secu red had the gear II no planetary movement. Figs. 2 and i more particularly show the pedal-cranks engaged upon the axle of the rear wheel. The Jfeatures of our invention, however, contemplate the customary engagement of the pedals upon the shaft carried by the crank-hanger C, as indicated in Fig. 3, as coming within its scope, the shaft in said hanger being provided with a sprocket-wheel K and the rear axle with a sprocket-wheel K, the sprocket-wheels K and K' being connected by a sprocket-chain K2. A

In Fig. 3 the covers J and J are shown in plan, it being noted that the interior mechanism is similar to that shown and described in Fig. 4. As applied to a bicycle the mechanism described and shown within said covers J and J is carried upon the main axle D, the axle G being an additional auxiliary shaft or axle. The same mechanism might be employed for other purposes than those relating to bicycles. Vhen the pedal-cranks are attached to the axle of the rear wheel, the crankhanger and its shaft may be entirely omitted, in which case the framework connecting the rear and front wheels may be considerably shortened, bringing the front wheel nearer to the rear wheel, as indicated in Fig. l. By such a construction the rear forks of the ordinary frame may be entirely omitted, materially diminishing the cost of the construction of the frame and making the bicycle of lighter weight.

That we claim as our invention is l. The axle, the two sleeves applied to the axle at opposite ends and secured to the frame of the cycle, the two-part hub revolving upon said sleeves, and the wheel secured thereto, combined with a sprocket-wheel secured to one end of one of said sleeves, a gear-wheel secured to the end of one of the parts of the hub, a weighted arm secured to the axle, a shaft revolving in one end of said arm and having secured to each of its ends a wheel, one of said wheels being connected by a chain to the wheel upon the end of one of the sleeves, and the other wheel being made to mesh with the wheel upon the inner end of one of the parts of the hub, substantially as shown.

2. The axle D, the sleeves D2, D3 applied to the opposite ends thereof and secured to the frame of the cycle, the sleeve D2 being provided with the sprocketwheel D upon its inner end; and the weighted counterbalanced arm F F secured to the shaft, one of the ends of the arms being made perforated; combined with the shaft G which passes through IOO IIO

IZO

the perforation in said a11n,' the sprocket In testimony whereof We sign this specifi- Wheel g, the gem-Wheel H, the hub composed cation in the presence of two Witnesses. of 'nwo parts which revolve upon the sleeves, NATHANIEL RAPP. one of the paths being provided with a Wheel RUSSELL RAPP, J R.

5 H with which the large Wheel H meshes; and Vionesses:

the Wheel B which is secured to the two-part N. S. VRIGHT,

hub, substantially as specified. A MARY HICKEY. 

